▬ Columbia, South Carolina - A few weeks later ▬
"Forgive me. You remind me of someone."
"Katerina is a natural beauty. I believe I have forgotten how beautiful the Doppelgängers are. She really does resemble Tatia. Don't you agree, Elijah?"
"Tatia suffered a cruel fate, brother. I pity the poor girl and that history has to repeat itself."
"Do you really pity her fate or do you pity yourself, knowing that Katerina is not yours? That she'll never be yours?"
"It has been Tatia's choice, Niklaus."
"A choice you manipulated, Elijah! You knew that I loved Tatia and yet you interfered and took her away from me. Did my happiness mean nothing to you?"
"It meant everything to me!"
"Then let me tell you something, Elijah. Katerina is mine! I've seen how you started to be around her and buttering her up. Do not jeopardize the sacrifice! Do not jeopardize the trust Katerina has in me!"
"Is it really necessary to play such a cruel game with her, Niklaus? To make her believe you plan to wed her? Why this facade of courtship?"
"Are you worried about her feelings, brother? Let her have hopes and dreams. I believe that's more merciful than locking her up in the cellars until the time is right."
"I have been to see the witches. They believe they may have found a way to spare the doppelgänger."
"What does it matter if she lives or not? She's a means to an end that is all."
"What, she should die for your gain?"
"She is human. Her life means nothing."
"I beg you to consider this."
"Are you so foolish as to care for her?"
"Of course not."
"Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, and we are not weak, Elijah. We do not feel, and we do not care."
"What have you done? Katerina has gone. She has fled. What did you tell her?"
"I told her nothing."
"Do not lie to me!"
"I will find her. You have my word."
"If you do not, I give you my word you will be dead."
"She's here. Katerina! I know you're near, I can smell your blood. It's pointless to run, Klaus will find you wherever you are."
"This way. There is more blood over there."
A gasp left Elijah's lips as he startled and snapped his eyes wide open. He panted, eyes wandering around restlessly without really taking anything in. His disturbed mind was still far too occupied with the memories that still flashed behind his inner eyes. Images of Niklaus and him, images of Katerina, and the memory of the faint smell of oh so alluring blood.
Adrenaline rushed through his veins as he tried to separate dream from reality, lucubrations from the truth.
Eventually, Elijah noticed the continuous pattering of sleet against the balcony of his hotel suite, noticed that the world seemed to be upside down. With a groan, he lifted his head off the desk that was cluttered with maps, reports, and notes. His vision was strangely blurry as his gaze wandered around and eventually got stuck on a fallen-over bottle of whiskey. Judging by the fact that there was no puddle, it probably had been empty prior to the fall.
A mumbled, slurred swear left his lips and a hand swept carelessly through his hair when he slowly realized that it had been him that had emptied the entire bottle - after he already had a few drinks down the Hotel's bar.
It's pathetic, really, but he had preferred his mind to be altered for the time being. To escape the ugly truth of failure after failure, to escape the incredible pressure that's weighing on his shoulders.
Elijah inhaled deeply and squeezed his eyes shut before he slowly got up and tottered to the windows of his suite to open one of the windows. The sound of the annoying pattering of the disgusting weather made his head pound even more but at least it blended out the memories, the dream he had just had. His lungs sucked in the cold air that flooded the room. The weather had been very changeable lately and on nights like this, particularly cold.
His hand was still resting on the window frame as he leaned his forehead against his forearm and took in another deep breath, his eyes shut. He could already feel that his mind started to clear, that the wobbly feeling wore off. He couldn't say how long he has passed out but he wished his mind would stay foggy a few moments longer, wished his mind would allow him to be dazed out. It's more bearable this way.
After ten minutes, Elijah left his position at the window and walked back to his desk to stare at the outstretched documents that showed him his failure. Many different circles, different marked spots were spread over the maps, each showing where the search had been without success or where people believed they have seen the missing brunette.
For weeks now, his only doings were dedicated to his search for Katerina. And still, he hadn't found her yet. Dozens of humans had been compelled by him to look out for the missing Doppelgänger, hikers that combed through the woods in order to find every possible hideout. He had compelled them all by himself, had sought out several hiking places to do so. Only a few vampires were on the look for her as well, fearing that they might not be as trustworthy as compliant humans. If there were people after Katerina, it were supernatural beings that had their own reasons why they wanted to help him. He could not risk her getting in the wrong hands.
He averted his eyes from the map and bent down to grab the empty bottle to dispose of it (or at least place it back in the Minibar).
When he returned, he could hear his phone ringing inside of his jacket that laid neatly folded on the footer of the giant bed. He had no idea how he managed to do it in his drunken state but he assumed it's a habit that only needed muscle memory to fulfill the task.
Usually, he would be keen to answer it as fast as possible but this time, he already had a bad feeling and no desire to talk to the person on the other end of the line.
Nonetheless, it needed to be done if he wanted to have his peace and not getting pestered with other ridiculous attempts of getting his attention. With a sigh, he grabbed the jacket and grabbed inside it to pull it out.
"I haven't changed my mind, Niklaus."
"We need you here, brother! How long are you still trying to chase after a ghost?"
"How odd. My intentions of chasing after a ghost never bothered you when the ghost had been you or the traits you so resolutely denied."
"So what are you planning to do? Let us down because of your pipe dreams? What about our family? What about our city?"
Elijah sighed and inhaled deeply, guilt flooding his veins. They've come so far, are so close to finally being a family again.
"I did come back to aid you when your child was born, didn't I? I fought for our family, fought for your child. I'm sorry that the beginning of her life had been as violent as it had been but I'm not the one to blame."
"You came back for a mere 8 hours before you vanished again without another word. Is this what you call help?"
Elijah narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling an aching pain in his head. Only this time it wasn't because he has had one too many. His fingers cracked as he clenched his hand into a fist.
"Careful, Niklaus. Do not question my intentions nor my reasons as to why I've decided to leave and stay away."
"No, Elijah. What you're doing is betraying our family, our home!"
"Betrayal is a concept you understand, yes? Do you even understand what betrayal means? What you have done to us, to our family? To me when you recently decided to use me as a deposit?"
"Oh, don't bring up old differences!"
"But I do, Niklaus because it's always the same with you. No matter what process we made, what we have achieved as a family, it always comes back to you stabbing your siblings in the back."
"A family? You decided to leave when I needed you! You, brother, left us alone. How can you dare-"
"-Oh, believe me, Niklaus, I merely came back for your child. Because although we have our disputes that child of yours is innocent and deserves a good life, a chance to be born. Your child was the reason why I returned for a short time, not you and your endless tantrums!"
"So that's it, Elijah? Am I nothing to you?"
"I could ask the same question, brother. Am I nothing to you? If you had acted more like my brother and not like a paranoid controlling man, we wouldn't be in this situation." Elijah paused, his grip tightening around his phone as anger swept up, "I think I've made myself clear. Don't try and send another messenger or they'll be delivered back to you in pieces," with that, he hung up and threw the phone with a loud and angry growl back onto the bed.
Niklaus has set himself the task to annoy him with those pesky vampires he sent to look for his whereabouts and convince him to come back to New Orleans which only added more to the extreme pressure he started to had for a few weeks now.
Elijah's under pressure because Katerina is nowhere to be found and he felt like time is slowly but surely running out. He's constantly worried and feared that he's coming too late. That she's suffering and starving somewhere and he just can't help her. That thought alone gave him nightmares and only added to his distress. At the same time, however, Elijah is also under pressure because he can't do his family justice.
Does Niklaus really think he does not feel guilty for not being there with him in New Orleans? He has still not forgiven his younger brother for his betrayal of daggering him and leaving him as a deposit but he does feel guilty for leaving his family. For not helping them to build a home. For not being able to keep up the promise he made to Hayley and her unborn child of protecting them. Because protection meant he would be there for them. He deplored the terrible and violent circumstances under which his niece was born but he also knew that in the end, his constant presence probably wouldn't have made a difference. In addition, he at least had been there during the most crucial moments to make sure his niece gets the chance of being even born because no matter what, that child is innocent and didn't deserve to suffer just because of a family dispute. Furthermore, with no sight of any other news about the whereabouts of Katerina, he could muster up the time for a short trip back. Not for Niklaus or anyone else, simply for his innocent niece. That's all he was able to do as he could not let his search for Katerina rest for too long. It eased his mind to know that Rebekah is there and his niece is in good hands with her.
Besides, what even is Niklaus' point? He is the one who claimed to be 'the King of New Orleans', he's the one who accused him of planning to steal the love of his child away from him. Shouldn't he be pleased with the fact that he has gotten rid of him? The brother who always so ridiculously believed in his redemption and won't stop until he has found it? How often had he told Niklaus that family is power? That love, loyalty is power? That this is what makes them, the Original Family, so strong? Because they stick together for always and forever? It often appears as if that promise meant nothing to Niklaus.
Furthermore, as he has already told his younger brother, if he were to treat him more like a brother, they wouldn't be in the current position.
"What makes you think I'll spare your beloved Katerina?"
"You will spare her because I am asking you to spare her. As your family, as your only living brother, I would ask that you provide me with this opportunity to feel, to care. To love."
"And as your only living brother, I will make it my cause that you never know a moment of happiness."
Elijah gritted his teeth at that memory. It had been his brother that had forced him to make the decision of leaving Katerina. His brother who added even more pressure on his already strained patience and mood. His brother that rather sees him alone and miserable than letting him have a shred of happiness. His brother, who made it perfectly clear that he intends on killing Katerina if he dared to choose her although he made it perfectly clear that he intended to help him with the baby and New Orleans regardless of his relationship status. That he'll be his brother no matter what.
All he asked for was the opportunity to be happy with the woman he loved and yet his brother has had the audacity to openly threaten her and deny him his request.
Again.
Had he not sacrificed everything for his brother? Had he not be willing to sacrifice his own happiness over and over again just so Niklaus could find his? In 1492, he had been willing to let the person who had managed to awaken a feeling in him go just so she's safe after the sacrifice is done. He would have let her go so she's safe from them and any other attempts on her life because he knew that as long as she stayed anywhere in reach of Klaus or his family, she won't have a peaceful life.
However, Elijah also knew that he cannot be portrayed as the noble one in this case. That what happened in 1492 wasn't entirely Niklaus' fault.
Elijah too had made a mistake. A fatal one.
The Original's mind spiraled back to the dream that has plagued his mind and reminded him of the monstrous act he had committed. Another kind of guilt hit him and he swayed, only finding a halt at a nearby wall.
"I know you're near..."
Elijah pressed his eyes shut as he tried to blend out the memories of that dreadful night. He could swear he could smell the damp leaves ... the slight hint of blood...
"I can smell your blood..." "I will find her. You have my word." ▬ "If you do not, I give you my word you will be dead." "It's pointless to run, Klaus will find you wherever you are"
The Original shuddered, a grim expression on her features as he pushed himself off the wall and walked towards the desk in his hotel suite, eyes rigidly fixed on one marked spot on the map.
"Tell me, when did you see her? And what did she do?" "
Next time, you'll be dead"
Elijah remembered how he had tried to bring as much distance as possible between himself and the gas station before hell is going to break loose. The desire to kill, to murder that wretch had been so strong. He always had to remind himself that the only reason why he's going to keep his life is Katerina. Katerina's safety. He can't under any circumstances risk making her scared and leave because she was frightened and feared for her life.
He won't repeat the mistake he once had made. The mistake that was so painfully present in his mind right now, the memories of what had happened in 1492. Of what he had done.
"She's here. Katerina! I know you're near, I can smell your blood. It's pointless to run, Klaus will find you wherever you are."
The memories of him in the woods echoed through his mind, reminded him of the best example of how he made things worse than better. Reminded him how he had handled the difficult situation of her escape entirely false.
Yes, he had been furious during that time but he had completely dismissed the fact why she had chosen to run, why she had chosen to escape.
Katerina had been frightened. Had been frightened to death. Had been scared of them, both Niklaus and him.
By searching for her in the woods, by the way he had done it, it must have even worsened the situation for her. She must have felt like the prey running from an overpowering predator, with no perspective of escape and survival.
He didn't realize it back then, hadn't been capable of putting himself in her position back in the day. He had been too furious, too blinded by anger and Niklaus' threats to realize that the way he acted made the situation deteriorates further.
Back in the day the extend of the doppelgänger's escape hadn't been clear to him. He hadn't been aware of what she had known, hadn't been aware of Trevor's betrayal. He's still not sure how she found out, what Trevor had told her to make her run.
But what he knew is the fact that history could have been changed if he had approached the situation differently. If he hadn't appeared so ... threatening. Because in hindsight, his search for her in the woods, especially his choice of words, must have been highly threatening and intimidating. He hadn't realized it until it was too late, hadn't realized that if he would have been able to control his temper and didn't let Niklaus influence him, he could have changed the situation. That if he had approached the situation more calmly, appearing as a friend rather than a foe history could have been changed.
Of course, it's speculative, but if he had chosen to search for her alone, to not radiate such aggression, perhaps Katerina would have had shown herself. Perhaps he would have managed to find her in time to prevent any more damage. Perhaps he could have saved her.
Again, it has never been in his interest to hurt Katerina. The sacrifice needed to be done, yes, but that didn't have to mean she had to suffer. That had never been in his interest which was also the main reason why he even came up with a thought-out plan to ensure it's going to be bearable for her. Nothing more than a bad dream if she should unexpectedly remember something.
And under no circumstances he would have allowed Niklaus to mistreat her if Elijah had found her and brought her back.
No, Elijah would have come up with a believable lie of where Katerina had been found to prevent any harm from coming to her. Thankfully, Niklaus had not much to do with her, so Elijah's knowledge of her habits would have been to an advantage to come up with an explanation.
He still remembers the smell of her blood floating through the woods, indicating that she must have hurt herself in the deadly chase. His anger dulled his focus and his trust in Trevor who gave him a false direction, hence preventing him to find the right trail and follow the trace of blood.
But what had it been?
Had Trevor left a false trail? Had Trevor hurt her to do so? Or had Katerina hurt herself in the deadly chase? Had she tripped? Has someone else hurt her?
Elijah has never tasted her blood back then but Katerina always had had quite a lovely scent. A scent that could hardly be compared to anyone else. Bloomy. Sweet. Pure. A scent that left no doubt that it was the scent of her blood that floated through the damp atmosphere of the woods.
His jaw tensed at the memory, at the knowledge that this had been his fault, making him angry at the same time because he actually had no right to have the audacity to want to be with her. He couldn't understand how she was still able to forgive him after all that. Clearly, she couldn't have forgotten a single thing, couldn't have forgotten her fear. A fear that still was too evident when he met her again in the tombs of Mystic Falls in 2010.
It's easy to put the entire blame for what has happened on Niklaus but he also had to be blamed.
All the more reason to make things right this time. To not scare her. To not make things worse while he's looking for her.
And yet ... and yet his attempts were without success. What did he overlook? What's he doing wrong?
A growl left his lips, a hand gliding through his messy hair. It feels like he's spinning in circles, and again his hands clenched into fists in despair before he angrily swept the piles of paper down the desk because he felt like they are mocking his failure.
His stare is blank as he looked at the mess on the ground, his chest lifts and lowers in rapid succession as his mind spirals again before he took a step back as he noticed his control is slipping. His shirt clung to his skin - partly because of the delirious state after he got drunk, partly because of the current tension.
He needs to cool down and take a shower before he can get back to work.
The shower had washed the last rest of intoxication away - much to his regret. Because now that he felt like a new man, his mind wandered around more actively while he got dressed. The latest events concerning his family strained him and the knowledge that he hasn't gotten a single step closer to finding Katerina drove him mad.
A vicious circle, it seems, is at work.
The more time he spends on checking up every hint he gets about her whereabouts only seemed to make it clear that she still has a lead of several weeks, making it impossible to figure out where she was right now. She could be somewhere else by now. She could be in Europe or Canada. She could be in need. She could be freezing and starving. She could be severely injured or hurt and there's nothing he could do about it. Nothing he could do to help her or make it better. It made him sick.
It is strange that she managed to elude him and his searchers so perfectly especially now that she's human. He didn't question her skills because there's no need to deny that Katherine Pierce is clever, but with her limited resources it's highly concerning that she couldn't be found.
The only concrete hint he had was her stay at that disgusting, run-down gas station. All the other witnesses were not 100% sure that the person they saw had indeed been Katerina which begged the question of how she managed to masquerade and if yes, as who. Such an outstanding woman as Katerina must catch someone's eyes, he can't believe that almost no one can identify her with a high probability of safety.
Nonetheless, Elijah paid attention to every hint and detail, trying to figure out at least a pattern with the rare information he got, hence all the circles and question marks on different locations on the maps he had brought. The maps and a pile of papers he had swept off his desk in a tantrum because he had needed a valve for the accumulated frustration.
Elijah crouched down and wordlessly picked up the papers to put them neatly back on the desk. While doing so, a small, cut-out newspaper article caught his attention that had been hiding between two larger papers.
Young woman dies in a car crash near Newberry
The accident already happened last week... was instantly killed ... identity currently unknown ... Who knows her? ... Approximate age 20 - 25 years ... Dark Hair ... Please call...
Elijah's hands started to shake and his heart skipped a beat, suddenly having an awful uneasy feeling.
"No, no, no..."
His voice is shaky as he raised to his feet, his eyes pinned on the article. How could this have slipped his attention when it was brought to him? However, his mind couldn't focus on the 'why'. It only focused on one thing: Katerina may be dead.
He tried to tell himself that there's no way that the article was about Katerina. There are so many young women that live in the area, so many who probably only stayed there for a visit or traveled through the area. There are so many possibilities that didn't have to include Katerina at all.
Elijah closed his eyes, a new image forming in his mind: His beloved Katerina, crushed by a car. Run over in the dark. Hadn't that piece of trash told him that Katerina had come into the gas station by foot? Although there were no other buildings near there? Hadn't he seen himself that these roads were in the middle of nowhere leading through undeveloped terrain? No driver would expect someone walking there on the streets and a human can't possibly react quick enough to get out of the way if they hadn't heard the car coming.
His heart dropped as he snapped his eyes open to get the nasty images out of his mind although he couldn't quite shake the images of her petite body covered in blood out of his mind.
"No, no, no!", he growled, panic starting to flood his veins and he frantically grabbed the map of South Caroline where all her potential whereabouts in that area were marked. The blood seemed to freeze in his veins when he saw the marked spots where people thought they have seen the missing brunette. They were located in places that were quite possible to come from when desiring to go to Newberry.
This realization was strangling his throat and he swallowed thickly as his eyes landed on the article again. Where was the date? Where was that damned date? How long had it been since it was published in the newspaper?
A loud curse left his lips and his hand clenched into a fist, ready to swipe the desk empty again out of anger and worry. However, he controlled himself and instead grabbed the phone to call the number of the hospital.
"The near Newberry deadly injured woman, has she been identified yet? ... No? Is she still there? ... Good! Don't move her! Whatever you do, don't move her! I'll be there in a bit!" his voice is very authoritative, and commanding, lacking his usual politeness when talking to a stranger.
As he rushed out of the hotel room, Elijah's mind was strictly fixed on the latest revelation, on the unidentified woman that's lying in a cooler in the cellar of a hospital. He hoped, prayed she wasn't Katerina whose life has faded away. Please, in the name of all things holy, don't let it be Katerina. Don't. Let. It. Be. Katerina.
On the way out, Elijah pushed some people out of the way, not caring for their reactions. He was so tensed that he'd literally snap someone's neck if it meant not losing even more time because right now, he couldn't muster up a single bit of control or patience.
▬ A few weeks ago ► Katherine's POV ▬
The rain hammered down on the roofs of the small city whose streets were swept empty. Only a few people wanted to go outside and if they did, they made sure to return quickly into warmer rooms and scurred between their cars and the shops.
It was unpleasant weather, cold and wet, and it got worse after sundown because the rain felt icy and the air even colder at night.
Katherine had pressed herself against the wall underneath a small roof overhang. Her clothes were soaked to her skin and she was shaking uncontrollably, her pale petite hands rubbing together in an attempt to warm herself but it didn't seem to work out. If anything, it only made her become more aware that she couldn't really feel her fingers.
Until two days ago, everything had gone so well and according to plan. And Katherine Pierce has had a plan when she left Whitmore College. The money Caroline had given her had helped to get a bus (and food) south. Furthermore, she also had some money she had taken with her when she had briefly stayed at the Salvatore's place. Damon always has been a terrible hider so it hadn't been too hard to find one of his hideouts.
Unfortunately, however, the expenses for food and the buses have been more expensive than she had thought. She had never used a bus before, so she didn't have had any idea how expensive it is. And while she had gone out eating and dining in the past, she never had paid much attention to how expensive a proper meal is. It wasn't affordable for her, especially because she seemed to be hungry most of the time, especially when she hasn't had something proper.
Everything had been okay until she got to Charlotte but ever since leaving the city? Chaos. A mess. Because she was starting to have almost no money anymore and as a human, she was dependent on cash.
Katherine had always valued her vampire nature but in moments like this? When was so exhausted that trembling from the cold actually started to hurt? She missed being a vampire even more. Hell, she missed everything about it. She missed her strength, her speed, her ability to heal. She missed having easy access to food, she missed her heightened senses. She missed the gift of compulsion. She missed the luxury of having a place to sleep. Feather pillows and covers. Nice smelling bedsheets.
She missed feeling at least okay.
Right now, however, she felt like she's starting to freeze into an ice block. The cold air burnt in her lungs and whenever she exhaled, a white haze confirmed that she's indeed still breathing. Her lips were dry and chapped and despite knowing better, she continued to lick over them which only made it worse.
Her entire body ached, and her empty stomach continued to contract painfully from the lack of food.
Katherine had been on the run before after she had turned human. But it hadn't been as worse as it was now. Yes, the pain and the fear of getting caught were the same, she also had blisters from running but at least it had been summer last time. The nights had been warm and there had been barely any rain. Surviving while being human had been easier a few months ago.
The car she had stolen in Charlotte had broken down in the middle of nowhere. Due to the incessant rain, she hadn't left the car immediately, but then she had heard sirens from afar and had been scared that the police were after her, searching for the thief. Even if they weren't looking for the car, Katherine couldn't risk getting caught because unfortunately, she didn't have any papers with her which would make the officers immediately suspicious of her. Perhaps Katherine should have trusted her charms and remained in the car. At least she would have stayed dry. And perhaps prison isn't as bad as it sounds. At least it would have been a dry place and she would have gotten something to eat.
The only question is what they would have done with her. Did she want to spend the rest of her miserable human life in prison? Behind bars? In an overcrowded, stinking cell? No, definitely not. Besides, no one knows what they are going to do with her once they discover that she doesn't exist in any register of births or registration offices. Sure, she could come up with a sob story of being the 'lost twin' of Elena Gilbert but would it have been so much better if they returned her back to Mystic Falls and maintained a close eye on her? Probably not.
So running through the rain for several miles had been her choice. In hindsight, a stupid choice.
Through Katherine's body trembled a heavy shiver and she watched her pale, blue fingers before her eyes darted desperately around.
Where can she go? She needed a warm, dry place. She needed something to eat. She needed new dry clothes. However, no one is noticing her, and the two people that paid her a moment of attention quickly hurried away, treating her like she's a leper.
A groan that hurt her burning trachea left Katherine's blueish lips and she squeezed her tired eyes shut as her vision got blurry.
Everything hurt ... it hurt...
Opening her eyes hurt and exhausted her. But she needed to stay awake, she needed to keep going on.
Katherine forced her eyes open and pushed herself off the wall as her gaze caught the sight of a small bistro at the end of the street. She knew she's getting kicked out immediately but at least she had to try it. She almost couldn't feel her legs anymore and she swayed, but her brown eyes were fixed on her goal.
Unfortunately, however, Katherine didn't make it to the bistro. Headlights were the last thing she saw before she collapsed.
A/N: This story had a flash-forward of several weeks so a lot of time has already passed after Katherine has left Whitmore College.
What do you think is Katherine's plan? And is she the one who's been reported dead in the Newspaper? What do you think?
Please remember to leave feedback if you like the story because feedback is one of the things that keeps a writer inspired and motivated to keep writing.